It’s Official: ‘Fantastic Four’ Has a Rachel Zegler Problem
MCU film's stars keep alienating patrons, but Pascal may be worst case yet
Hollywood stars learned little from ZeglerGate.
Rising star Rachel Zegler helped tank her Disney dud “Snow White” first by trashing the source material and, later, by alienating half the country.
Her comments got endless media attention, both of the Legacy and New Media variety. You couldn’t escape it. And none of it helped lure fans to see the live-action update.
It’s happening again, but worse.
The stars of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” took a page from Zegler’s playbook. First, two of the four main stars disparaged the source material.
Joseph Quinn (AKA Johnny Storm) called the character a sexist in a press interview, assuring movie goers the new Johnny would be enlightened (dull?).
“He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also he’s funny,” Quinn said of Johnny. “Myself and [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] were speaking about previous iterations of him and where we are culturally. He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so.”
The eye-rolling from Comic-Con Nation began, and it kicked into a higher gear after The Invisible Woman, AKA Vanessa Kirby, took a stab at attacking the beloved comic book series.
“If you played an exact ’60s Sue today, everyone would think she was a bit of a doormat … So figuring out how to capture the essence of what she represented to each generation, where the gender politics were different, and embody that today, was one of the greatest joys of this.”
Here we woke again.
The comments didn’t catch fire like a certain Zegler quote, but they got plenty of attention from those already skeptical of Hollywood reimagining beloved properties. Casting a woman to play the Silver Surfer didn’t help.
Enter Pedro Pascal, the man who plays Reed Richards in the film.
The in-demand actor, currently starring in Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” unleashed both barrels in recent days. First, he donned a pro-trans T-shirt “Protect the Dolls” at the UK premiere of “Thunderbolts.” The actor’s sibling is trans and he’s been actively supporting that community for some time.
Wearing the shirt is a provocative statement. No one wishes harm to members of the trans community, or any community, for that matter. The debate over trans women in women’s sports, however, is legitimate. So is the argument against allowing children to endure so-called “gender affirming care.”
He wasn’t done.
The actor blasted author J.K. Rowling, a critic of trans women competing against biological women, as “heinous loser behavior” on Instagram.
He also called her comments “awful” and “disgusting.” The post upon which he commented called for a boycott of all things Rowling.
Pascal’s attacks went viral earlier today.
That will remind some of Pascal’s past comments regarding President Trump’s supporters. Pascal likened them to Nazis.
Even Zegler didn’t go that far.
“The Fantastic Four” film, debuting July 25, represents the third attempt to bring the Marvel Comics quartet to the big screen. The first effort (2005) eked out a sequel (2007) but few reflect fondly on the films. The glossier 2015 reboot starring Miles Teller bombed with audiences and critics alike.
This may be the last try at bringing The Thing and co. into the MCU. This kind of messaging from the film’s core players won’t help.
Zegler could have told them that if they would only listen.
While celebrities have the right to free speech and expression, they should be cautious when speaking out on politics and social issues. When they do, it can create a false narrative and sway public opinion in a way that may not be entirely accurate. Moreover, celebrities may use their platforms to push their own agendas and interests, rather than to genuinely advocate for a cause.
Ultimately, the end of wokeness requires a fundamental shift in our culture and values. We need to move away from the emphasis on identity politics and victimhood and towards a culture that values free speech, thinking, and individual agency. Only then can we create a society that is truly inclusive, equitable, and just.
would have been been delighted with a respectful reboot along the lines of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the 2008 “Iron Man”.
The Chris Evans version of Johnny was fine. Not yet proficient at flying, as the missile approaches he runs for the edge of the roof.
Sue: “Don’t even think about it!” Johnny: “I never do!” Sensitive Johnny? Meh.
Pedro seems more like Gomez Addams than Reed Richards. I wanted the Reed who consulted The (Mad) Thinker to check his psycho-history calculations in “Civil War”.
Sue? These writers can’t make a woman strong without making a man weak. NO ONE asked them to make Sue a “door mat”.
BTW, while Shalla Bal was Silver Surfer in a comic or two, how does that compare with decades of Norrin Radd, who even had his own comics title and was a founding member of the Defenders? The writers KNEW we didn’t want this. It’s just a 4-Q from them to us. We know it.
I’m actually going to see the movie because some of the trailer footage looks not-too-bad and I prefer to judge for myself. So far, the actors have made every effort to piss off their natural fan base. Kinda like the writers. Whom DO they want to please?
Should have cast Michael Foster as Reed Richards. Better actor, and less attitude.
I would have been been delighted with a respectful reboot along the lines of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the 2008 “Iron Man”.
The Chris Evans version of Johnny was fine. Not yet proficient at flying, as the missile approaches he runs for the edge of the roof.
Sue: “Don’t even think about it!” Johnny: “I never do!” Sensitive Johnny? Meh.
Pedro seems more like Gomez Addams than Reed Richards. I wanted the Reed who consulted The (Mad) Thinker to check his psycho-history calculations in “Civil War”.
Sue? These writers can’t make a woman strong without making a man weak. NO ONE asked them to make Sue a “door mat”.
BTW, while Shalla Bal was Silver Surfer in a comic or two, how does that compare with decades of Norrin Radd, who even had his own comics title and was a founding member of the Defenders? The writers KNEW we didn’t want this. It’s just a 4-Q from them to us. We know it.
I’m actually going to see the movie because some of the trailer footage looks not-too-bad and I prefer to judge for myself. So far, the actors have made every effort to piss off the nature fan base. Kinda like the writers. Whom DO they want to please?
Pascal And Zegler have exposed themselves as muppets and are a great example of why celebrities should stay out of politics or remain neutral as to not offend half their audiences or sometimes the vast majority of audiences
I really hate how so many actors want to bring their “artistic interpretation” to comic book movies because MCU WAS such a success, and they think comic book movies are so hot right now. The MCU movies were successful because they appealed to dudes; attractive women who can hold their own kicking ass alongside the men, cool superpowers that we all wish we had, a villain that was so strong that there was no way anyone was ever going to defeat them, then defeating said villain by outsmarting them or teaming up and using everyone’s superpowers together. Follow that formula, for comic book movies anyway, and you’ll get butts in seats again.
OMG the Silver Surfer looks horrible.